By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 17 seconds ago

Here’s a fun fact: historically, Star Trek shows have had a scientific consultant whose job it is to keep storytelling grounded in our current knowledge of physics and technology. That doesn’t mean everything you see in these shows is scientifically accurate, of course: as Voltaire so memorably sings, far too many plot points still get resolved through nonsense technobabble, like “[bouncing] a graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish.” But the advisor does his best to ensure that most of what we see in shows set in the 24th century jives with the collective scientific knowledge of the 20th and 21st centuries.

As a rule, the scientific advisor isn’t usually heavily involved with plotting an episode. Rather, he gets called in after the fact to supply convincing jargon for scenes of technical exposition. There are exceptions, of course, including the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “A Matter of Perspective.” Scientific consultant David Krieger attended the story conference for this episode because the writers needed to know how the holodeck could accidentally put the ship in danger. He provided the perfect explanation and received an unexpected reward: a new bit of Trek technology was ultimately named after him!

The Holodeck Goes Homicidal

“A Matter of Perspective” is a murder mystery in which Riker is accused of killing a man by deliberately blowing up the space station he was on. Eventually, we find out that the commander didn’t murder this guy; instead, the guy tried to murder Riker, but his radiation waves bounced off the transporter beam and blew up his interstellar laboratory; furthermore, the Enterprise’s holodeck recreation of the scientist’s lab was converting energy from the planet into radiation that endangered the ship. It makes for a fun reveal, especially with Lawyer Picard doing the talking. Still, this story flummoxed the entire writing staff for a simple reason: it required the holodeck to do something impossible.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the holodeck is presented as the ultimate virtual reality simulation. No goggles are needed: thanks to holographic projectors, replicators, and invisible force fields, it can perfectly replicate anyone and anything, letting visitors do whatever they want without leaving the ship. Fortunately, they are designed with safety protocols that keep people from getting killed. But that presented a problem for the TNG writers (all of whom worked on “A Matter of Perspective”) because the episode had the holodeck sending waves of dangerous radiation into the ship. How, then, could it do that when the technology was explicitly designed to keep people safe?

Science Saves The Day

Thanks to this narrative conundrum, “A Matter of Perspective” marked one of the few times that science consultant David Krieger was invited to attend a story conference in person. The writers pitched him their problem, and he came up with a creative solution. Instead of the holodeck serving as a direct source of the damage happening to the Enterprise, it would simply convert harmless energy from the planet into deadly radiation. It did this because the scientist’s lab was secretly designed to do so, and the Enterprise perfectly recreated it in the holodeck. 

It made for a nice little loophole: the holodeck wasn’t intentionally causing harm, and the discovery that the Enterprise is accidentally creating radiation leads to the episode’s climactic reveal. As for the Star Trek: The Next Generation producers and writers, they were proud of the science consultant’s idea. So proud, in fact, that they named the special radiation “Krieger waves” in his honor. Unfortunately, the reception to this episode was mixed; many fans liked it, but TNG writers like Michael Piller, Ira Steven Behr, and Ronald D. Moore absolutely hated it. 

An intensely divisive episode actually named “A Matter of Perspective?” Man, our simulation really is breaking down. Before it gets any worse…computer, end program! 

President Donald Trump gave Nicki Minaj an eyebrow-raising shout-out during the White House Rose Garden luncheon.

“We also have a woman that is so respected and so hot and so great and such a great friend of, I don’t say conservative, I say of common sense,” Trump, 80, told the Monday, July 6, event crowd, while speaking about the rapper, 43.

“She’s a fantastic person and she’s a woman that’s respected by everybody and she’s got real talent: Nicki Minaj,” he continued.

The president then prompted Minaj to “stand up, please,” adding that she is “such a great person and respected by everybody.”

When Trump later spoke about the Small Business Administration, he once again brought Minaj back into the conversation.

“Nicki Minaj is so incredible. They call it small business, Nicki, but when you add it up, it’s bigger than any back in the world, probably, right?” Trump added. “It’s not small business, but she’s done fantastically and I appreciate it.”

Minaj — one of many in attendance for the Rose Garden Club event — could be seen smiling in photos from the lunch as she enjoyed iced tea at one of the garden tables.

Following the luncheon, the “Pink Friday Girls” rapper updated her fans on her latest trip to the White House.

Minaj used the hashtag “WhiteHouseBarbie” on all of her uploads from the day, including a video posted to X of her sitting at the garden party wearing Versace. “#WhiteHouseBarbie 🎀 #VersaceTingz,” the caption read.

The musician later posed with a portrait of Trump as she walked down the hallowed halls of the White House.

Minaj also reposted a clip of Trump giving her the above shout-out, responding with a series of praying hand emojis.

To top off her outing, Minaj got to go inside the Oval Office and take a picture with Trump at his desk.

“Whoa!!!! #WhiteHouseBarbie with her favorite President of all time!!! 🙌🏽🇺🇸♥️,” she wrote via X.

Related: Comedian Mike Epps Apologizes to Nicki Minaj After Sexual Donald Trump Joke

Mike Epps apologized to Nicki Minaj after ruffling some feathers with his bawdy humor during a comedy show. Epps, 55, joked about Minaj’s support for President Donald Trump and his current administration, quipping to the live audience in Louisville, Kentucky, that she was “having a train ran on her by Donald Trump and them,” during […]

Minaj and Trump’s friendship has been well-documented over the years, especially after he won his second term as president in November 2024.

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The Grammy nominee has since become a frequent guest at Trump’s events, including the 2026 Trump Accounts Summit in January.

“I am probably the president’s No. 1 fan, and that’s not going to change,” Minaj told the crowd after Trump summoned her on stage in Washington, D.C. “The hate — or what people have to say — it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. And it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more.”

She added, “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him. He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen?”

There’s a new show at the top of Prime Video’s TV rankings: Laura Kittrell’s prequel comedy Elle: From the World of Legally Blonde. Starring Lexi Minetree as a younger version of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods, the show follows the iconic character as a teenager in the 1990s, navigating life as a Seattle high school student, years before she arrived at Harvard Law School. While the series has had mixed reviews, audience reception has been brilliant. But if that’s not quite what you’re in the mood for, there are still plenty more options to check out on the platform. Without further ado, here’s a look at three great shows that we think you should binge on Prime Video this week.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Prime Video.

1

‘Hart of Dixie’ (2011–2015)

Created by Leila Gerstein, Hart of Dixie is a comedy-drama series starring Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, an aspiring New York heart surgeon whose career takes a turn for the worse. Leaving the big city, she moves to Bluebell, Alabama, to work as a general practitioner, struggling to connect with her patients while navigating a complicated personal life. Besides Bilson, the show also stars Jaime King, Cress Williams, Wilson Bethel, Scott Porter, Tim Matheson, Kaitlyn Black, and more.

Hart of Dixie premiered on The CW in September 2011, receiving largely mixed reviews from critics. Later seasons, however, were much better received, and the show ultimately ended with a highly acclaimed fourth season. While the show isn’t particularly fresh, it delivers classic rom-com tropes in a comforting, feel-good story, making it an easy and enjoyable binge-watch and a great pick for Gilmore Girls fans. Unfortunately, the ratings declined steadily from season to season, and the show was ultimately canceled. Though it has become largely forgotten in the years since, Hart of Dixie is an underrated show that has a way of growing on you.

2

‘The Rig’ (2023–2025)

A British supernatural sci-fi thriller show, The Rig is the first Amazon Original filmed entirely in Scotland. Created by David Macpherson, the series revolves around an oil rig in the North Sea, where scientist Rose Mason (Emily Hampshire) discovers startling anomalies after an unnatural fog carrying mysterious spores starts infecting the crew members. Hampshire and Iain Glen lead the cast, with Mark Bonnar, Rochenda Sandall, and more in key roles.

The Rig’s first season, released in January 2023, was quite favorably received by critics, though it remained very under the radar with audiences. Its second season, which premiered in 2025, lifts the series to new heights, with stronger writing and character development that earned it greater attention and acclaim. Though its plot may be somewhat predictable, The Rig is an atmospheric and gripping eco-thriller with engaging performances and an enjoyable take on the isolation horror subgenre, making it a great watch for horror fans.

3

‘Criminal Minds’ (2005–Present)

Created by Jeff Davis, Criminal Minds is an iconic CBS police procedural that revolves around a group of criminal profilers working for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The show follows these agents as they use behavioral analysis and profiling to catch suspects, attempting to dive deeper into their minds so they can stop killers before they strike. The series has had a massive star-studded cast over the years, featuring Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Lola Glaudini, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, A. J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Aisha Tyler, and more across seasons.

Easily one of the most successful TV crime shows of all time, Criminal Minds has been a consistent success almost since the time it aired its very first episode in 2005. Though the show originally wrapped up with Season 15 in 2020, the series was revived as Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022. Now a massive media franchise that includes multiple spin-offs, Criminal Minds is undeniably a landmark of contemporary television, and with its 20th season in the works, now’s the perfect time to catch up on its storied history.

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Release Date

September 22, 2005

Showrunner

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Erica Messer

Directors

Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky

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Writers

Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding weekend was packed with celebrity guests, lavish celebrations, and tight security, but one unexpected incident outside their rehearsal dinner briefly caused concern. An erratic man reportedly sparked a disturbance outside Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, where Swift, Kelce, and roughly 100 of their closest friends and family members had gathered for an intimate rehearsal dinner ahead of their wedding ceremony the following day.

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According to TMZ, the incident unfolded outside Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan, which had been transformed into a private venue for the couple’s wedding festivities.

Law enforcement sources told the outlet that the man attempted to push past officers stationed near the venue and head toward Penn Station, the transportation hub located beneath Madison Square Garden. The individual was reportedly not a fan attempting to gain access to the rehearsal dinner and was unable to get far due to the extensive security measures that had been put in place around the arena.

Sources indicated that while the man appeared agitated and behaved aggressively toward officers, the situation never turned violent.

Swift And Kelce’s Wedding Weekend Featured Extensive Security Measures

Video shared online showed members of the NYPD’s Community Affairs unit escorting the man away from the area before emergency medical personnel were called to the scene. The man was later transported to a local hospital for evaluation. He was not arrested, and no criminal charges were filed.

The incident occurred as security remained on high alert throughout Swift and Kelce’s highly anticipated wedding celebrations. The couple hosted multiple events at Madison Square Garden leading up to their wedding, drawing a guest list filled with A-list celebrities, professional athletes, and close friends.

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Reports estimated that the New York Police Department’s security operation surrounding the festivities cost approximately $160,000, with officers stationed throughout the area to maintain safety and control access points around the venue.

The heightened security reflected the enormous public interest surrounding what many outlets dubbed “America’s royal wedding.”

Workers Reportedly Reprimanded For Taking Photos During Setup

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The rehearsal dinner wasn’t the only security-related issue that surfaced during the wedding weekend. Multiple sources told Page Six that several workers involved in preparing Madison Square Garden for the event were reprimanded after allegedly taking unauthorized photographs during setup on Thursday night.

According to the report, as many as four individuals believed to be working with the wedding production team were spoken to after being caught taking pictures inside the venue.

Guests Were Asked To Keep Wedding Details Private

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Given the enormous public interest surrounding the wedding, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly took extensive measures to keep the details of their big day under wraps.

According to reports, many of the roughly 1,000 guests who attended the wedding festivities were required to sign non-disclosure agreements before arriving. Those in attendance were allegedly prohibited from sharing details about the ceremony, reception, and other private celebrations surrounding the couple’s nuptials.

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Even Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, remained careful not to reveal too much when asked about the highly anticipated event. “I really can’t say a heck of a lot except it was magical, man, magical,” Donna said.

Despite the secrecy, a handful of details have still emerged.

Rare Details From Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Secretive Wedding Begin To Emerge

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During a special wedding-themed segment on “Good Morning America,” hosts George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts shared a few sweet insights from the ceremony. Stephanopoulos revealed that the bride and groom had “little books” waiting for them at the altar, while Roberts noted that Swift and Kelce chose to exchange “their own vows” during the emotional ceremony.

Meanwhile, two anonymous guests who spoke with NBC News said that attendees were welcomed into the venue through a tunnel lined with photographs chronicling Swift and Kelce’s lives, from their childhood years to milestones throughout their relationship. The display led guests into what was described as the couple’s “Secret Garden,” which served as the backdrop for the celebration.

Wedding guests also received personalized keepsakes commemorating the occasion. Singer Maren Morris later shared a glimpse at one of the favors handed out during the celebration, a white handkerchief featuring the couple’s monogram, wedding date, and Manhattan location. The design reportedly matched several elements featured on the couple’s wedding invitation.

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From 2015 to 2017, Netflix’s true-crime drama Narcos made history on the platform. Drawing in millions of viewers and enthralling fans in every chapter, the three-season and 30-episode series became a blueprint on how to make a true-crime story still feel modern, dynamic and high stakes, no matter how many viewers knew how Pablo Escobar‘s life panned out. With fast-paced writing, sharp directing and incredible performances from stars like Wagner Moura and Pedro Pascal, the series hit the jackpot, and became proof of the potential true-crime TV had.

Since the end of the series, TV has shifted to reflect Narcos‘ success. From its spin-off series, Narcos: Mexico, to some less connected TV shows on Netflix and beyond, the series has undoubtedly helped turn gritty, true-crime-inspired cartel dramas into one of TV’s most durable prestige genres. So, as Narcos creator Chris Brancato confirms the end of the Narcos franchise, the series’ legacy will continue to live on.

‘Narcos’ Became a Proof of Concept

For those who still haven’t tuned in to the series, Narcos largely focused on the infamous Colombian drug lord as the leader of the Medellín Cartel. After reaching a tragic end in the Season 2 finale of the show, Narcos continued on in Season 3, picking up after Escobar’s fall and focusing on the rise of the Cali Cartel. At every step of the way, the series was beloved by viewers and critics alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series soared with viewers with a 94% on the Popcornmeter, as well as reaching an average 89% among critics. Among the praise, critics highlighted the series’ non-stop, nail-biting action and storytelling, leaving viewers at the edge of their seats in every episode. “Narcos is power-packed, addictive and worth the ten hours you’ll spend stuck to your screen,” wrote one review.

By doing so, the series proved that while many viewers knew Escobar’s fate, and perhaps even details about how his drug empire came about, viewers can still flock to a show that is equal parts historically accurate as it is entertaining. In fact, having the events based on real-life events not only didn’t remove the series’ sense of danger or scale, but worked in its favor with viewers tuning in to learn more, and getting sucked into the action with a larger emotional depth.

The ‘Narcos’ Legacy Has Lived On

Since coming to an end in 2017, Narcos’ legacy has continued to live on. In fact, a big chunk of that is linked to Brancato, who has since worked on Narcos: Mexico, Hotel Cocaine, Godfather of Harlem and The Westies, which is set to come out on July 12, 2026. “One could argue [that] every single crime show [of mine] since Narcos is another iteration of Narcos,” he told Deadline. “For sure, we have a few things cooking that are in the crime genre that will give Narcos a run for its money.” The Westies, for instance, which will star Titus Welliver and J. K. Simmons, is another true-story crime drama, this time following the notorious Irish-American mob that ruled New York’s Hell’s Kitchen from the 1960s through the 1980s.

But Brancato’s work isn’t the only way in which Narcos‘ legacy lives on. Shows like 2024’s Griselda, starring Sofía Vergara on Netflix, 2020’s ZeroZeroZero, which is often considered one of the best prestige crime dramas after Narcos, and Snowfall, which has spanned six seasons on Hulu, can all be linked to Narcos‘ success in the genre.

Therefore, while Narcos came to an end after three seasons in 2017, the series has backed a gritty, nail-biting subgenre that will continue to live on for years after its success. Plus, with Brancato carrying on his niche with exciting new shows like The Westies, Narcos‘ finale was certainly less like a closed door and more like the start of a much bigger TV legacy.

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Release Date

2015 – 2017

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Network

Netflix

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Showrunner

Chris Brancato

Directors

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Andrés Baiz, Josef Kubota Wladyka, Fernando Coimbra, Gerardo Naranjo, Guillermo Navarro

Writers

Andrew Black, Julie Siege, Nick Schenk, Dana Calvo, Clayton Trussell, Zachary Reiter, Allison Abner, Adam Fierro, Steve Lightfoot, David Matthews

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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul made rare comments about her relationship with ex-husband Tate Paul after their divorce.

Taylor and Tate got married in 2016 and expanded their family twice before being involved in a “soft swinging” sex scandal. The controversy involved Taylor and Tate hooking up with couples — with them calling it quits in the aftermath of the drama.

The reality star, who shares daughter Indy and son Ocean with Tate, found love with Dakota Mortensen, who was Taylor’s first boyfriend since her divorce. Taylor and Dakota faced major ups and downs — including Taylor’s February 2023 domestic violence arrest — which was documented on season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

Taylor was ultimately charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief after the incident. Taylor pleaded guilty six months later to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice. She reached a plea deal the following month.

Related: Who Is Tate Paul? What to Know About Taylor Frankie Paul’s Ex-Husband

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul’s relationship with ex-husband Tate Paul has been a popular topic since she exposed their participation in “soft-swinging” in 2022. The summer after Taylor went public with their sexual preferences, the couple divorced, but they continued to maintain a good coparenting relationship for the sake of […]

Season 1 captured Taylor and Dakota trying to make their relationship work after her legal issues. They briefly got back together before their son Ever’s arrival in March 2024. Amid their ups and downs, Taylor became more entangled in legal issues with Dakota following multiple domestic disputes.

Taylor and Dakota were previously granted temporary restraining orders against each other. Tate, for his part, filed a temporary restraining order in June 2026. He also filed a petition to modify the terms of their divorce and custody agreement, which was ultimately denied.

Keep scrolling to relive Taylor and Tate’s relationship:

2016

The pair got married in 2016 after years of dating.

2017

One year after they walked down the aisle, Taylor and Tate welcomed their first baby when daughter Indy was born in August 2017.

2020

Taylor and Tate’s second baby, son Ocean, arrived in June 2020.

2022

After news broke about a “soft-swinging” scandal, Taylor confirmed that she and Tate were part of a group of young couples who would swap partners. Taylor explained in a livestream that she had an agreement with Tate where they were allowed to be intimate with other people. There were restrictions, however, which is why they broke up after Taylor crossed a line in their agreement by going “all the way” with another man.

2023

Following Taylor’s first domestic dispute with Dakota, Tate asked police about getting a protective order for the former couple’s children. In a phone call audio and transcripts obtained by Us Weekly in March 2026, Tate asked Utah police to clarify what legal protections were put in place for his children following Taylor’s arrest.

2024

Taylor revealed in September 2024 that Tate was in a new relationship, telling Distractify, “My ex is doing great as far as I know. I love him and his partner, [who is his] fiancée, I believe.”

Tate has since married Bailey Paul, with whom he shares one child.

Related: Mormon Wives’ Taylor Frankie Paul, Dakota Mortensen’s Relationship Timeline

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen‘s complicated romance was thrust into the spotlight on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — and their relationship status remains unclear. Before the show premiered on Hulu in September 2024, Taylor and Dakota started dating following her divorce from husband Tate Paul in the wake of a high-profile “soft […]

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March 2026

“I just respect his privacy a lot, and I know that’s what he likes,” Taylor exclusively told Us in her March 2026 cover story. “But he and I have always been really good friends and [have a] very healthy coparenting relationship.”

June 2026

Us confirmed in June 2026 that Tate filed for a temporary restraining order against Taylor, requesting a hearing to discuss the matter. Tate also filed a petition to modify the terms of his and Taylor’s divorce and custody agreement.

According to court documents previously obtained by Us in March 2026, Tate agreed to pay his ex-wife $3,000 a month in child support after their divorce. In their August 2022 divorce decree, the exes were awarded joint legal and physical custody of Indy and Ocean.

Tate’s new petition requested to modify their agreement so he received sole custody of their children. His request was ultimately denied one day later.

“As Tate himself recognizes, many of his supporting allegations are based upon inadmissible hearsay, without any corroborating evidence,” court documents obtained by Us read. “Many of the concerns, like the children not doing well in school and expressing sadness will require ongoing attention not remedied with an emergency order changing custody.”

The statement continued, “The court acknowledges that what he is allegedly hearing can create anxiety, but contrary to the claim that the children are in immediate danger, Taylor proffers that Tate left the children with her from June 11 through the 17, 2026, while he went to Iceland. The court cannot find an immediate and irreparable harm as contemplated by Rule 65A, and the motion is denied.”

July 2026

After his initial request for a restraining order was denied, Tate filed a motion for reconsideration and submitted several exhibits. Taylor, for her part, broke her silence about the legal drama.

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“I spent the day crying and fighting for my 2 older children,” she wrote via Instagram Stories. “They had returned yesterday after being withheld and they were expressing how excited they were to spend this year with me doing fireworks.”

Taylor got emotional about the coparenting challenges she has allegedly been facing with her ex.

“Their dad even told me we could EXTEND it to Monday so I relayed them the exciting news just for him to take it back?” she claimed. “It was lies to them and my gut was wrenching to witness them cry, confused and asking why…”

There’s a chase to cut to. Things must be kept brief. David Bowie released a ton of albums in the 1970s, which was his strongest decade, in terms of his music. And critically speaking, since the 1980s was good for him commercially, largely thanks to Let’s Dance being as big as it was. And the 1980s might’ve been stronger for Bowie, the actor, since he was in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Labyrinth, and The Hunger that decade.

But the music… the 1970s was where it was at. Bowie did a bit of everything this decade, and he adopted different personas throughout, also switching up genres with just about every new album. There are 11 albums to get through, which makes this a bit more of an endeavor, as far as typing goes, than the usual top 10, but this decade for this artist is worth it.

11

‘Pin Ups’ (1973)

Well, before getting to the good stuff, there is Pin Ups. Maybe Pin Ups shouldn’t entirely be categorized as belonging among the “bad stuff,” yet it isn’t particularly great. It’s a covers album, basically. That makes it a bit less interesting, by default, since with the other David Bowie albums of the 1970s, you get pretty much nothing but originals that showcased Bowie’s songwriting abilities on top of his singing skills.

It’s just singing here. Bowie tackles a bunch of songs from the 1960s, and some of them don’t sound terrible, but little here feels impressive or essential. You’ll inevitably listen to Pin Ups if you’re a completionist, and feel compelled to hear it all, but if you’re not at that high a level of the David Bowie fandom, you don’t really need to give this one a spin, in all honesty.

10

‘Young Americans’ (1975)

Before anyone gets too concerned about this being only one place higher than Pin Ups, it has to be stressed that Young Americans is still good. This is where the good stuff starts; the fun begins. It is only the second-worst of the 1970s, for Bowie, because his 1970s was just so good. Or maybe too good.

If there’s a complaint to make here, or a justification as to why this isn’t ranked higher, it kind of starts and ends amazingly (thanks to the title track at the beginning and “Fame” being the closing track), but the rest of the album between those points is… not bad. Just not as good. It’s like a sandwich where the bread is somehow tastier than the filling. In this sandwich, the only ingredient you kind of need to take out is “Across the Universe.” It’s Bowie doing a cover of a great Beatles song, but he sort of mangles it. It’s probably worse than most of the covers on Pin Ups, which isn’t great.

9

‘Lodger’ (1979)

Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy concluded with Lodger, which sort of feels like a warm-up for Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980). Now, that album is pretty incredible, and was Bowie’s best non-1970s album until Blackstar came out in 2016, and probably exceeded it in quality, which is no small feat. That’s a bit of a distraction, though. Sorry. It could be a result of it feeling hard to know what to say about Lodger.

It is a pretty solid album, and it is admittedly more consistent than Young Americans, though that also means it doesn’t quite have the highs. The whole thing moves along well, and is more than listenable from start to finish, with the new waviness of it all being forward-thinking, as a 1970s release that sounds pretty darn ‘80s. “Look Back in Anger” is the closest thing to a highlight, though it feels like the album is, overall, screaming out for just one or two more proper/soaring highs.

8

‘Diamond Dogs’ (1974)

Bowie took some influence from Nineteen Eighty-Four when developing Diamond Dogs, and one of the tracks here is even called “1984.” It’s not like a full-on adaptation, though, even if that might’ve been the original plan. Diamond Dogs has some other influences, too, and is a generally offbeat and kind of eerie album at times, though it does have the undeniably catchy “Rebel Rebel” on it.

Actually, calling “Rebel Rebel” catchy and leaving it at that is doing it a disservice. The song’s immense, and one of Bowie’s very best albums. It can’t help but tower over most of the other tracks here, though the titular song here is also memorable. You get a couple of highlights, and then most of the rest of the album is generally some level of pretty good, or very interesting, or even a bit of both at the same time.

7

‘The Man Who Sold the World’ (1970)

If you’re after David Bowie albums that are growers, Low is probably the best of them, or the one that sounds the most different (in a good way) after a certain number of listens. But something similar can be said about The Man Who Sold the World. This one sounds fine for a while, and might not really feel all that worth digging into repeatedly, yet doing so does pay off.

It’s hard to explain it beyond that. Potentially, it’s Bowie going for a real rock sound for the first time, and succeeding incredibly well, because this does sound like a more confident album than the two he released in the 1960s. Well, nothing here is quite as good as “Space Oddity,” which is far and away the highlight of his second album, but this third album of his is one that’s strong from start to finish, and it houses some of his most underrated songs, too (the opening track perhaps most of all: “The Width of a Circle”).

6

‘Heroes’ (1977)

This was the second album in David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy, recorded in… yeah, where you’d expect. Heroes is also the second one being mentioned here, in this ranking, meaning it’s kind of obvious that the first album in that trilogy is going to rank the highest. If you’re being pessimistic, or kind of blunt, then yeah, the Berlin Trilogy did technically get weaker with each album.

However, the title track on Heroes isn’t just the best of the songs on any of these three albums, but it might well be the single best song David Bowie ever recorded. It’s almost like nothing else matters when “Heroes” is as good as it is, yet there are some other solid rock songs here, alongside the more ambient/instrumental songs on the album’s back half. It’s the same thing he did structurally on the first Berlin Trilogy album… but more on that one in a bit.

5

‘Aladdin Sane’ (1973)

Sorry, Aladdin Sane. You are so very good, but there are four other David Bowie albums from the 1970s that are so very… gooder? Better. They’re even better, somehow. This is one of those albums that feels like it would be a peak album from any other artist, and not just any normal artist, but any genuinely strong artist. Aladdin Sane would be a respectable peak for most good-to-great artists.

It’s just one of several masterpieces from Bowie’s most fruitful decade, though. Again, consistency is key to this one being so good. It’s hard to pick highlights when everything feels like it could be, you know, a highlight. There are no lowlights; that much can be said comfortably. Highlights might well depend on the mood you’re in, because “The Jean Genie” is phenomenally energetic, “Time” is sweeping and moving, and then “The Prettiest Star” is rather romantic.

4

‘Low’ (1977)

Low was the first Berlin Trilogy album, and it’s not too hard to see why it initially proved divisive. It was a massive change of pace for Bowie, being more experimental than the other albums he’d done up until that point, and a bit mellower overall, too. Tracks like “Sound and Vision” and “Be My Wife” are still quite energetic, but Low has a second half that’s dominated by ambient and generally instrumental songs.

That’s where you can really feel Brian Eno’s influence, as a collaborator, since ambient music was something he’d been doing after leaving Roxy Music. And the music here is odd to try to comprehend upon a first listen, and maybe even after a dozen listens. Yet eventually, it clicks, and once it does, Low is fantastic. It’s not even in the top 3 here, sure, but most artists would kill to have their very best album (like, of all time) be even nearly as good as Low is.

3

‘Hunky Dory’ (1971)

It would make sense if David Bowie went from The Man Who Sold the World to something like Aladdin Sane, or the very strong album that came right before Aladdin Sane (it’ll be covered shortly), but no, there was a bit of a detour. That detour was Hunky Dory, which has its share of rock songs on it, sure, but it’s also a bit quirkier, and sometimes a good deal poppier. Yet calling it pop doesn’t feel quite right.

Hunky Dory is one of the more enigmatic and distinctive David Bowie albums, but at the same time, it’s also one of his most instantly engaging. Unlike with The Man Who Sold the World and Low, it’s appealing immediately, and contains so many perfect songs (especially “Changes,” “Life on Mars,” and the somewhat underrated “Quicksand”). It’s expertly paced, and eclectic while never running the risk of feeling inconsistent or messy. It’s uncannily, almost eerily good, and, as album #4, marked the first time Bowie recorded an outright masterpiece.

2

‘Station to Station’ (1976)

Before Low and the other Berlin Trilogy albums, David Bowie made Station to Station, which is probably his most bizarre and challenging album of the 1970s. Then again, it’s weird, yet it’s also easy to like some of the songs here, even on a first listen. There is a sense that most of them feel a little too long at first, because this is a 30-minute album with only six tracks… yet things do thankfully start clicking before too long.

Once you’ve listened to this a few times, you might well find yourself thinking that the title track, at 10 minutes, isn’t long enough. Bowie was in a bad place when he wrote and recorded Station to Station, by his own admission, though he did manage to make a brilliant piece of art during such a troubled time. It’s another difficult album to properly do justice with words, and commentary only goes so far. It does sound undeniably incredible, and unlike pretty much anything else out there, stylistically and musically.